Captain Arne Grønningseter. On a voyage from Clyde to Curaçao in ballast on March 15-1941 when the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau attacked 4 tankers which had belonged to a dispersed westbound convoy, position 40 30N 43 45W. More details can be found on my page M/T Bianca - includes eye witness account and crew list, as well as pictures, and information on some of her previous voyages.

D/S Biarritz * neutral

Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo

1753 gt

Built in Oslo 1922.

Torpedoed and sunk on January 25-1940 by U-14 - D/S Biarritz has more details and a picture of the ship.

M/S Bidevind NS*

Gunnar Knudsen, Porsgrunn

4956 gt

Built in Flensburg, Germany 1938.

Captain Marcus Roberg. Torpedoed and sunk by U-752 (Schroeter) on April 30-1942 - see M/S Bidevind for further details (includes crew list).

D/S Bill NS*

L. Gill-Johannessen, Oslo

2445 gt

Built in Moss 1939.

Torpedoed by U-155 (Piening) July 29-1942 and sunk in 11 58N 55 02W while on a voyage from Brazil to New York (via Trinidad) with general cargo. Read more about her loss (includes an eye witness account and crew list, as well as information on some of her previous voyages).

SOLD IN 1939 to Yosiaki Tamaya, Japan and renamed Tamaki Maru. Sold in 1941 to Nissan Kisen K. K. Japan and renamed Nissyu Maru (Nishu Maru?). Torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine Cobia on July 18-1944 northwest of the Bonin Islands in position 28 43N 139 24E (28 17N 139 00E?). Info on this ship is from Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list.

Fred. Olsen & Co. had a ship by the name Binna after the war, built Aberdeen 1953. Sank following a collision on March 1-1953, raised from a depth of 230 ft and rapaired that same year. Sold to Liberia in 1968.

Most of the details on this ship were sent to me by a visitor to my site, his source: "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles", where she's listed as steamer Torborg I at the time of loss on Balcomie Briggs, Fife Ness on Apr. 5-1940, cargo of paper. According to this source she was a wooden steamer built at Nystads Skip & M.V. Co, Nystad, registered in Bergen. I found her listed as Bjørnhaug, ex Torborg I in Det Norske Veritas' "Norges, Sveriges og Danmarks Handelsflåter" which says she was a motor vessel, ran aground at Firth of Forth on the date given above, voyage Copenhagen-London with general cargo.

According to a posting to my Ship Forum she was purchased from Åland in 1937 as Torborg and renamed Torborg I by Torgersen & Maaren A/S, Bergen. Sold 1939 to S/A Madrino (Finn Poulsen), Oslo. She's still listed as Torborg I in "Fortegnelse over Norske Orlogs-og handelsfartøyer - 1940" which is a jour up to Jan. 1-1940, so she may have been renamed Bjørnhaug shortly before she was lost.

D/S Bjørnvik NS*

A. F. Bjørnstad, Oslo

812 gt

Built Selby 1918. Previous names: Runa, Reias, Flynarthen, Kildre. (Info from a visitor to my website; his source: "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles").

D/S Bjørnvik has more information on this ship, details on her final fate and a crew list.

I once heard someone say that if you know nothing about what the merchant seamen went through during the war, read 1st Mate Birger Lunde's accout from the days spent in the lifeboat after Blink was sunk - it says it all. See for yourself on my page about D/S Blink (includes casualty list).